General Counsel Program
As your business expands, you may find that questions frequently arise regarding
corporate meetings and formalities, employees, contracts or commercial leases. These
types of day-to-day operational questions and issues are as important to the success
of your business as a major acquisition or transaction. However, many businesses
cannot economically justify hiring a full-time lawyer to serve as in-house counsel
and refrain from contacting their outside attorneys for such matters because of costs
concerns. This can have adverse consequences by delaying legal consultation until
a matter has become a full-fledged dispute. By breaking from “traditional” law firm
billing practices, The Fleming Firm has designed an option - the General Counsel
Program - that gives small and mid-sized businesses access to legal counsel similar
to having in-house counsel on staff, but without the economic pressures typically
associated with this option.
Under the General Counsel Program, The Fleming Firm will serve as an outsourced general
legal counsel serving as a key member of your management team. The Firm will be
“on call” to render strategic legal advice, review form contracts, handle matters
of corporate governance, attend board meetings and service day-to-day operational
needs. This will result in your business receiving sound legal advice consistent
with your overall business model and objectives that is often missing when attorneys
are retained to handle specific transactions. If your business has a specialized
legal need outside of the Firm’s expertise, such as patent or complex tax matters,
the Firm will coordinate and oversee outside counsel to insure your business objectives
are obtained.
For businesses with in-house counsel, the General Counsel Program may also be a cost-effective
option for providing additional legal assistance with day-to-day operations, handling
overflow work or providing access to legal counsel when in-house counsel is traveling
on business or personal matters.
With the General Counsel Program, you determine the number of “on-call” hours you
wish for The Fleming Firm to be available each month. The Firm is then retained
by remitting a monthly or quarterly retainer. As the number of “on call” hours increase,
the General Counsel Program becomes more cost-effective by reducing the effective
rate charged by the Firm. If a specific transaction arises, such as a property acquisition
or lengthy contract negotiation, the Firm will handle the transaction outside of
the General Counsel Program as it would any other matter, employing “fixed fee” pricing
where appropriate.
Thinking Ahead. Solving Problems.
“Rusty and I have worked together for a number of years. Rusty’s business acumen
and vast legal expertise are simply unparalleled. I have absolute confidence in
his advice and always appreciate the practical solutions that he readily finds to
the most challenging problems.”
- W. Brian Memory, General Counsel of Universal Asset Lending Information Systems,
Inc.
